Off She Goes..

Thanks to the comments, I did some re-thinking. I'm taking the MACHINE as a carry on, and checking my clothing bag. I'm using my wheelie case for the machine so I CAN wheel it, and just leaving the case with my mom as a bonus, or if I end up buying a bunch of stuff (doubt it but you never know) I can use the machine wheelie case to bring stuff home.

I KNOW I didn't get enough sleep last night, maybe....4 hours? urgh. So I hope to sleep on the plane, but doubt that too! :cD


I'll be back Monday night! Happy Mother's Day, Even if you have no offspring of your own, we as Quilters are always mothering someone in our lives. It's in our nature!

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PS....

I just got off the phone with my mom for last minute details. I'm taking her my older Viking 500 machine...SHE'S QUILTING!! And needs a machine, and heaven and all a sundry knows I have machines to spare.

I just plugged it in to clean it up and run it..the only thing missing is a 1/4" foot. I think I used my "little foot" that I also use for my featherweight when sewing on the Viking, and sorry mom....you can't have my own foot!

I'm off to the dealer to buy her a new one and see what else I can put together. This is a combo Mother's Day/Birthday gift for her since her birthday is right around the corner in June.

I'll box it up with styrofoam peanuts (another thing I need to do today) and it will be my "checked" luggage, since I'm going to have to check SOMETHING, it will be the one thing that doesn't have wheels :c)

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For Chrisee..

Chrisee asked in her blog comment about what is "allowed" on planes now, and I tried to reply to her privately, but when I clicked reply, I got the dreaded "noreply@blogger.com" address. Urgh.

I still think it's a valid question, some might find interesting! I had more trouble getting back FROM Canada to the USA when I flew last month (was it ONLY last month??)than I have had going anywhere within the US or from the US to Canada.

Before going though Customs in Winnipeg, I was told ALL scissors would be confiscated. So I quickly took my sewing kit out of my carry on and put it in my checked bag, and just read a book on the way back to the states.

But travel within the US? Small thread snips are allowed, needles are no problem, and no one has even questioned my seam ripper (a tiny brass one) that I use for removing the basting stitches from my small hand quilting project.

My little travel bag consists of thread, a needle book with needles, small thread snips, thimble, and that small seam ripper. If you don't want to take the whole spool of thread due to space shortage, wind thread on a bobbin! That helps save space.

My hoop is 12". It's not huge, but it's not tiny. It's big enough for me to work with the space I'm given on a plane without it going past the arm rests and into someone else's lap, which is always a consideration when flying coach! This little quilt is only 28" square. I don't like to fly with much over 36". It's just too much to deal with.

That said, I do find lots of opportunity to quilt at layovers in between flights, during flights....if we have to be to the airport 1.5 to 2 hours early, bringing a project can really put that time to good use!

I do keep a book with me as well, because sometimes stitching does NOT work out. Right now I'm going retro..I'm reading a novel by Ayn Rand first published in 1957. The title is "Atlas Shrugged". The idea for writing the book came to her in 1943.

It's amazing the fore sight she had, because what I'm reading sounds so much like what society has done in our day! And it's fun to read the nuances and words of that time period. Gay still meant happy then! :cD And references to things like "straigtening the seams at the back of her stocking...." I love that era in movies, so it is fun to read it in this book too. Not for the faint of heart, it's about 1000 pages.....

And with the mention of this book, I must add the following question "Who is John Galt??" (Read the book if you want to know!)

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Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Thurs morning I leave for Idaho! I'm getting very excited...I hope the weather holds out well. We have plans to do lots of hiking and BBQing and enjoying each other. I'll be meeting nephews and nieces I've never met before...one brother in law and one sister in law that I haven't met yet either.

I need a hand project to take with me...and I unearthed this top while cleaning out my studio this afternoon! I backed it with a fun gold/yellow print and quickly meander-basted it with huge stitches on the quilting machine. I was able to use up some scraps of hobbs wool batting in the process.

I plan on hand quilting it with black thread. The other hand quilting project has less than 2 sides of border fans to go, and I know I'll finish that on one leg of the trip...so this one is for working on while I am relaxing and visiting with family, and on the way home again on Monday.

It has poured ALL DAY here, which is fine with me....I've used the time to stay home and get things in order around here. It's been a productive day,and I hope tomorow will be too.

No, Jared Takes A Wife didn't make it on the machine, because the little Churn Dash Love did....so maybe tomorrow?

Oh..and this little interesting bit...I just got an email from a gal in Canada, who is distraught because she BOUGHT a mystery at a shop in Canada...10 bucks per clue...($70 for the whole mystery!!) only to find that it is my Double Delight.

Lovely. I have given permission for shops to give it out free....to teach it as a class as long as they don't charge for the class...but not to sell it with a kit,etc. It must remain FREE. But to charge $10 a clue when it is on my website for free? Couldn't they, shouldn't they design their own?

I told her to print out my email with my comments and go to the shop and ask for her money back. I hope they give it to her.

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